Sydney and Amanda

Denise Chasin had two young girls that started off life bright and cheerful and very much energized by whatever life presented.  At age four, both girls had started their “academic careers” at a local private school.  The goal at that time was not so much for either child to become proficient in any particular academic pursuit but to have the opportunity for social interaction and to meet and play with other children their age.

It was not long after both girls started school that something seemed to be lacking.  They consistently got good reports and seemed to fit in academically and socially.  Nonetheless, both were slowly losing their natural sparks, coming home from school tired, working hard to please their teachers and trying to keep up with the pressures of their peers.  Denise felt that the girls were slowly losing what she called their natural curiosity.

There were several telling incidents which helped pave the way to leave this environment.  Denise attended several field trips and realized that the kids were rushed, and focused only on completing the required worksheet and moving on to whatever was next.  She noticed most of the children had little if any interest in what was being presented and were just going through the motions obediently.  Another incident that contributed to the eventual departure was when her eldest daughter was in tears because she got the answer wrong on a reading test where she interpreted the story differently.  Her interpretation was actually quite clever and thoughtful and she was devastated that her independent ideas meant she failed.  She was a diligent, thoughtful child who suddenly felt her ideas were “wrong”.  There were other incidents both socially and academically that encouraged the family to find a better way.

Denise’s natural inclination was to actively educate herself and her family on various alternatives before making a decision.  So, after much thought and many visits to a range of programs throughout the area, Denise settled on sending the girls to a local Montessori school.  What was most important at that time was that the children had a place that would allow more independence, including the chance to expand on specific areas that might be of personal interest to each of them.  The progressive schools and the Waldorf school were appealing but they too were still teacher directed and authority based.   The Montessori school was closest to their idea of freedom at the time.  Montessori offered kids a chance to move about the classrooms as needed and to work on topics and projects within their own time frame.

Although in many ways, this environment was an improvement for her children, Denise and her family soon discovered that freedom in Montessori still included a great deal of structure and constraints.  After finishing the year, it was agreed that the time had come to bring school home.  Denise was a busy person with a business of her own, a farm to run, horses to care for, and a non-profit program for kids with special needs.  Many parents homeschool their children because they want to have that time with their kids and influence how and what they learn, who they socialize with, etc.  This was not true for Denise’s family.  In order to homeschool, many adjustments had to be made and many of Denise’s activities had to be put on the back burner.  If you talk to Denise about her thoughts at the time she will share that someplace in the back of her mind she knew eventually she would need to create her own program.  In the meantime she was determined to find something else that made sense for the moment and see how things would unfold.

And so the journey began.  The first year with the girls at home was mostly exploratory.  Denise’s family joined a few different homeschool groups and did what many do: drive, drive, drive, and drive to find other kids and activities to fill their days.  It is no joke when people say that homeschooling often feels like “car” schooling.  Part of the day was dedicated to some formal academics, which were mostly resented and struggled through, according to Denise.  At the end of the first year, both girls were a whole grade ahead because of Denise’s determination to move them onwards no matter what they thought about it.   The girls worked hard and the family found different social opportunities but something was still missing.

During the second year the family joined another co-op that was a bit more organized and local, hoping they could consolidate their driving efforts.  This turned out to be worse than school for them and they were bored to tears and longed for more frequent interaction with other kids and adults.  The time came when a decision had to be made.  None of them thought returning to a traditional school environment made sense and Denise had been particularly intrigued by some of the books she had been reading on unschooling.  Later, Denise would comment that the children she met who had been “unschooled” stood out to her.  That the “unschooled” children were always eager to talk, get involved in what they were doing, and that they had a confidence within them she did not see from kids who were under the authority of their parents or teachers.

Very soon after reading about unschooling, Denise threw all her ideas about a structured curriculum out the door and gave her children the chance to decide for themselves what they wanted to do with their time.   It was then that Denise decided to begin her pursuit to start a school program.  Unschooling was her intent but she could also see how much the girls wanted other kids or people to spend time with, and she realized that being around others on a regular basis was indeed what would make the journey of unschooling even more profound.

After visiting many programs and alternative schools, Denise decided to follow up on one particular school that she had become aware of, Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro.  Fairhaven was known as a “democratic school” and their curriculum was life.  Kids there were free to do as they pleased as long as they were respectful citizens in the community.  After a bit of research and a huge amount of curiosity, Denise and the girls made a trip to visit the school.  Fairhaven is a school modeled after Sudbury Valley in MA.  Sudbury is based on the idea that children are naturally curious and when left to their own, they will pursue what they need to become the person they intend.  Both Fairhaven and Sudbury offered exactly what Denise felt was missing by “unschooling” her children herself.  They offered a community that mirrored the adult world and empowered the children to make decisions not only for themselves but for the community they were part of.  There are about 30 similar programs around the world and Denise arranged to visit several of them.  One thing that Denise was impressed with and what she found consistent in each of the programs she observed was a constant buzz of energy of kids and adults excited about life.

Not long after these introductions, Denise’s intent was to create a program similar to both Fairhaven and Sudbury within the homeschooling world and to find a facility that also allowed the families involved to explore the agricultural heritage of rural Montgomery and Frederick Counties.  And so FreedomHill Cooperative was created. That is how it all began and Denise’s vision for FreedomHill remains very clear and strong and ever expanding.